Halloween Half-Pagers: Must Halloween End?It was the morning after Halloween night, Jacob looked at the litter of candy wrappers on the sidewalk in front of his house and felt sadness that the night was over. Reluctantly, he looked at his yard and all the decorations he would have to take down. The sheet ghosts he had hanging from a tree, the styrofoam tombstones, the plastic skeletons climbing out of the ground, the colored lights to light the scene, and all the rubber bats. It wasn’t the work of cleaning up that he dreaded, it was the emptiness of his yard. The thrill Jacob felt having his own brightly colored haunted house, to scare kids, and reward them for their bravery by giving out candy. It made his dull life exciting and now he would have to wait another year for that thrill. Then suddenly he made a decision, he would leave the decorations up!Every night he turned on the lights that lit his haunted display, and played the spooky sound effects. If anyone came to his door he would first try to scare them dressed as a ghoul and then give them candy. After a week of this, his neighbors looked at him worried. Jacob’s kids thought it was cool at first, but after two months they were crying as they left with their mom, who had said he had lost it. After half a year his Halloween display was in shambles, ruined by the weather and still he acted like it was Halloween. Then by the time it was Hollow’s Eve again his home was such a mess it truly looked like a haunted house, and he had wasted away so much that didn’t need makeup to appear as a ghoul. Sadly, lost in his insanity he never realized that no one even came to his shunned house on Halloween night.

I love Halloween, but feel sad that it is not as I remember from the 50's - But then, nothing much is.

Worse yet has been the rise of religious fanatics seeking to end any public commemoration of Halloween because of its pagan/wicca origins. I don't recall that movement being around until the seventies anyway.

Worse yet has been the rise of religious fanatics seeking to end any public commemoration of Halloween because of its pagan/wicca origins. I don't recall that movement being around until the seventies anyway.

Try to see my favorite episode of the "King of the Hill" TV series - "Hilloween".

Worse yet has been the rise of religious fanatics seeking to end any public commemoration of Halloween because of its pagan/wicca origins. I don't recall that movement being around until the seventies anyway.

Not sure where everyone is from but South Carolina is slap eat up with these fanatical types. Wife and I only know a handful of other non-religious folks and most of them are in the closet. Not us! When they ring the bell or knock on the door to preach to us we take turns answering the door

Worse yet has been the rise of religious fanatics seeking to end any public commemoration of Halloween because of its pagan/wicca origins. I don't recall that movement being around until the seventies anyway.

I'm going to throw something out there: I hate how religion constantly divides people and groups. I hate it. I'm not saying that I don't like the idea of respecting the religious opinions of others, but half of these religious fanatics are just using it as an excuse to act offended and take the fun away from others. As I always say, "if your religion is worth killing for, please start with yourself". I apologize to anyone who might have been offended by that.

Not sure where everyone is from but South Carolina is slap eat up with these fanatical types. Wife and I only know a handful of other non-religious folks and most of them are in the closet. Not us! When they ring the bell or knock on the door to preach to us we take turns answering the door

I'd tell them in no uncertain terms I don't cotton to any kind of religion/superstition/stupidity.

Here's another update for those who may be concerned. I walked into my local Dunkin' Donuts store yesterday and they were completely sold out of pumpkin doughnuts and have officially discontinued them for the year. As for the pumpkin coffee, my store said that they had "a little bit" of the pumpkin spice syrup left, but I'm 99% certain that it's also officially discontinued. Hit up your local DD store and ask if they have any of the pumpkin syrup left ASAP.

'Love your free range kid term. Since I'm over 50 yrs old, I clearly understand it.I remember days with dozens of groups of kids going out and some houses gave LARGE bars.One house was on a hill by itself, the home owners loved Halloween and so decorated a lot.Any kid willing to take a 10 or 15 min uphill walk would get a very large Hershey bar. I cannot remember if it was a pound or half pound, but it was simply VERY large and work the hike for the decorations and the chocolate reward. 'Love those memories of how things used to be.

I posted earlier about having only 3 kids trick-or-treat on Halloween despite the lights and sounds I had set up. Each year has a different amount of kids. Over 50 kids was at least 5 yrs ago or more.

But on some streets in Northern CA, Halloween trick-or-treat numbers are high.A co-worker can have from 2,500 to over 3,000 kids visit on Halloween - because they live on a street with a house that goes nuts with decorations. Each year they need to decide if they buy enough candy to give out and stay home - or otherwise go out for the night and stay away from home.

I don't want 2,500 kids to show up to my home, but over 50 kids as it used to be would be grand.

I can't remember ever hearing it from anyone. (I'd like to take credit for thinking it up - but what are the chances I am that clever?)

In olden times, when parents weren't arrested for letting their kids frolic on all-metal playground equipment without a helmet, it was common for housewives (remember them?) to shove their brood out the door when cleaning the home - so the little dears wouldn't be constantly under foot and tracking up wet patches before they had a chance to dry.

Their dirty, smiling faces might not be seen again until Mom yelled the magic word, "LUNCH!" out the door. Admittance to the freshly cleaned house was not permitted until the kids were properly groomed and deprived of all venomous, or just creepy, critters they had collected.

That was back in the days when the kid MRE of choice, peanut butter, wasn't classified as a Hazardous Material.

it was common for housewives (remember them?) to shove their brood out the door when cleaning the home - so the little dears wouldn't be constantly under foot and tracking up wet patches before they had a chance to dry.

Mothers would often yell 'Turn off that TV and go outside and play! It's such a nice day outside."

That was back in the days when the kid MRE of choice, peanut butter, wasn't classified as a Hazardous Material.

All these peanut and other allergies have arisen because kids aren't allowed to get filthy dirty running around playing in the streets. Being kept squeaky clean doesn't allow their immune systems to be stimulated and thus develop properly. As a result their immune systems can't cope and go haywire when exposed to the most seemingly benign previously unencountered substances, e.g. nuts.

Does anyone else get depressed after Halloween leaves? Halloween has always been one of the biggest parts of my life. Definitely my favorite day/holiday. As I have gotten older, I don't get depressed for as long as I used to, but still do get depressed for maybe a week or so. I think that a small part of why I have a horror/monster collectibles room is because when I go in there, it is like Halloween everyday.

thm

Great post THM. Yeah Halloween is the best, so I def experience a 'come-down.' In fact, I start getting sad a few days before because I know I only have a little time left. I get real at cranky at work during October too. When work piles up I view it as a direct threat to my Halloween monster movie time.

You might ask, "what is so special about this pumpkin?". I've had this pumpkin for 2 Halloweens in a row. Each Fall, I keep my pumpkins after Halloween to see how long they will last. My goal has been to have one for 2 straight Halloweens. This one is the only one to ever make it. Ironically enough, the one I bought for Halloween this year, lasted only 3 weeks. The spots on the pumpkin are part of the pumpkin and not rot. I wonder how long this one will actually last.

>I'm not saying that I don't like the idea of respecting the religious opinions of others, but half of these religious fanatics are just using it as an excuse to act offended and take the fun away from others.<

Chakor, I just hope you hold on to the fact that "religious" and "fanatic" are not always - or even, often - the same thing.

You might ask, "what is so special about this pumpkin?". I've had this pumpkin for 2 Halloweens in a row. Each Fall, I keep my pumpkins after Halloween to see how long they will last. My goal has been to have one for 2 straight Halloweens. This one is the only one to ever make it. Ironically enough, the one I bought for Halloween this year, lasted only 3 weeks. The spots on the pumpkin are part of the pumpkin and not rot. I wonder how long this one will actually last.

thm

Do you freeze your pumpkin after Halloween so it can last over a year?

They last a long time - if not carved, but I'm guessing you'd have to freeze one to keep it over a year.